My betta fish, Cyan, is acting normal except for the fact he keeps getting oxygen from the surface and trying to swim past the walls,then takes another breath, and tries again and again. Then he goes away, swims around like usual, and then comes back to try again. Could my tank be too small(it's only a starter kit tank-half a gallon)? Or is this normal? I've had Cyan for a little over a month now...

For a half gallon I would be changing 100% of the water daily. The ammonia levels in a tank that small are going to build extremely fast unless you feed very sparingly (meaning like 2-3 times a week which IMO isn't enough for a betta).

No it doesn't work that way. There is more than just ammonia in fish waste and not changing the water daily (you might get away with every other day) is going to cause your fish severe harm over the long term.

If you only want to do two weekly water changes your going to have to get a 2.5 gallon tank or larger.

1fish2fish is correct, with a tank this size you should be changing the water every day. Fish constantly excrete ammonia through their gills, kind of like urine, and this builds up to the point that it actually burns the fish. Think about how uncomfortable it must be to have to swim in, breathe in, and drink in pee all at once--not pleasant. Dechlorinators can turn some of this ammonia into less harmful ammonium, but that's not going to cut the mustard on a tank of this size with a higher ammonia concentration. What that is intended to do is help neutralize the ammonia already found in some people's tap water in very small amounts.

It's very common for people to be mislead by how products for bettas are marketed in pet stores. Simply because you see a box with a happy betta on it does not mean that the "tank" was designed with a betta's well-being in mind. The truth is that these tiny tanks take very little materials to make, so they can jack up the price and make a higher profit on little "tanks" than they can on some larger ones. They don't care if your fish dies a terrible death, the company just wants your money.

With that in mind, also consider that every creature needs suitable heat, proper sanitation, exercise, environmental enrichment, and should be given the ability to express their natural behaviors. That isn't possible in a tank this small. Even if you could maintain pristine water quality in this container, it still won't be good enough.

I suggest returning your betta tank and getting something like this: http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...48&pcatid=3848 this tank costs a bit more, but it's very well designed, it comes with a good fluorescent light, a filter, it's large enough to be heated, and it's large enough to maintain a cycle which will make it so much easier for you to maintain. It takes up very little space but gives your fish enough room to be happy, healthy, and show off for you. It's also acrylic, which makes it light and extremely durable. I've dropped one of these on my kitchen floor and it was fine. If cared for properly, most bettas live for 3-5 years, some live for 7, and one of the oldest died at 15. This pet is going to be a major facet of your life for a few years, you might as well invest a little more into its housing--it will make your life so much easier.

I highly recommend the Eclipse series tanks as well. I have two of these (one of which is a hand-me-down) and they are awesome tanks. You can sometimes find them in store on sale for a really good price and the online price is already good, I would just wonder how much shipping would be.